Nektar 3D Advances Transportation Engineering with AI and Mobile Lidar Innovation

An investment in the Leica Pegasus TRK is the latest move by the lidar-based consulting services firm to provide world-class data collection and processing services to transportation agencies and engineering consultants across Canada.

Leica Geosystems | Highway 3D point cloud scanned with Leica Pegasus TRK.
“In addition to all the qualities of its predecessor, the TRK 700 enhances Nektar 3D’s capabilities on future projects.”

The use of mobile mapping to replace hazardous and time-consuming boots-on-the-ground survey activities has received a significant amount of attention in transportation engineering, especially for large projects.

But what if mobile lidar could do even more to accelerate project delivery?

That was the question Nektar 3D Consulting set out to address on the $2.61 billion Edmonton Valley Line West LRT (Light Rail Transit) Expansion project. The company used the Leica Pegasus Two:Ultimate mobile mapping system to capture survey-grade horizontal and vertical accuracy along the 28 km (17 mi) route, including the finest details of the surrounding infrastructure such as curb dimensions, grades, and cross-sectional slopes. The firm mobilized to the site within two days of being awarded the project and collected all the data in just two weeks.

The lidar scan was then tied to a 2D map in Nektar 3D’s cloud-based GIS platform to provide the project team with access to a 3D model of any region of the project at the click of a button.

This use of mobile lidar saved several months in design time when compared to conventional survey methods.

It was a powerful success story that motivated the firm to take the next step to remain the premier provider for lidar, AI and pre-design services in Western Canada.

In the spring of 2023, Nektar 3D invested in the first Leica Pegasus TRK NEO 700 scanning system in Canada.

“In addition to all the qualities of its predecessor, the TRK 700 enhances Nektar 3D’s capabilities on future projects,” the company said in a statement.

“Nektar 3D and Leica will continue to provide exciting world class scanning, HD mapping, infrastructure digital twins and AI classification services to our clients across Canada for years to come.”




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